Machine for making and cutting plaster-board.



APPLICATlOH HLID SEPT. 26. ISIB.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHECTS-SHEFT Jamar l? 5e; far) W W f M .1 i o I v N my firm/1.9

s. P. sexton. MACHNE FOR MAKiNG AND CUTTING FLASTER BOARD.

AHLCATH N LEO SEPT 26 981 1,288,703. Patented Dec. 24,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Jam [2 Sex fon I. P. SEXTON. MACHINE FOR MAKNG AND cunme PLASTER BOARD.

APPHCAHON FIUED SEPT 26. 1918.. 1,288,703. 1 Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lnven for James P. Safe/7 table and receiving racks, being a view taken as indicated by line 9--9 on Fig. 2; and Figs. 10 and 11 are sections showing details of clamp employed to hold the severed sheets.

Referring first to Fig. 1. 10 and 10 are webs of paper or other material in thin sheet form which act as surface sheets for the plastic material interposed between them, shown at 11 on the feeding table 12, which material is fed by hand or otherwise between adjustable feeding rolls 13 and 13 and the surface sheets A conveyor belt 14 traveling on drums 15 and 15, supported by numerous small rollers 16, acts as a carrier for the formed product which is rol d out into sheet form, as readily nndersto d. It will be understood that rollers 13, 13 are mounted in a suitable frame, shown at 20. There is also a structure suitable for mounting driving mechanisms and supporting rolls, shown at 21. Means for adjusting the tension of the webs is used, as shown at 25 and 25, which, in this case, is a friction band and drum applied to the shafts on which paper rolls 10 and 10 are mounted.

Fig. 3 shows in enlargement the process of feeding plastic material between the surface sheets which together form a product of manufacture herein termed the formed sheet 26. After leaving rollers 13 and 13, the latter of which is driven at a slower peripheral speed than the conveyer belt, the material passes to a cutting device 27 (Fig. 1). A sprocket wheel 29 is located on the shaft of roller 13 (see Fig. 1). 29 is a sprocket wheel located on the shaft of drum 15; 29" is a sprocket chain in contact with sprocket wheels 29 and 29 for the purpose of transmission of the desired proportiona speed between the two. (refllS 29 in combination with rollers'13, 13, enable the latter to revolve at equalspecd; and in the present embodiment of my in ventiOn the peripheral speed of the rollers 13, 13 is less than that of the belt ll. The frictional retardation at 25, 25 is adjusted so that the paper webs, and therefore the formed sheet 26. travel with the rollers 13, 13 mad lag behind the belt 14. This lag may be varied by changing sprockets 29, 29*. The belt 14 tends to constantly pull the Formed sheet 2o ahead and keep it taut, tint and free from wrinkles.

'lhe cutter mechanism is shown in Fi l i. It is designed to be attached to t e material (the sheet 23} during the cutting action; and this is done by clamping the cutter to the material. The sheet as to be out while traveling on conveyer belt 14 may be clamped. between the clamping plntii 30 and the upper clamping inn 31 by movemum of lever 32, which may be operated y handle 32. or by any suitable means as desired.

Fig. fi'sliows the uppef Lelamping bar 31 in in lower position aftcrtlw mo ement of lever 32 has taken place. thus clamping the material to be cut between the lower clamping plate 30 and the upper clamping bar 31. It will be noted that lever 32 swings or turns about supporting pin 32 supported on pedestal 39 which rests on lower c.amping plateBO. It will be noted that the clamping bar 31, when up and not in con tact with the sheet, is maintained in position by virtue of the relationship of lever 32 and the pin 32 and 32, there being sufficient spring or resiliency in the structure between supporting osts 39 and 39 to maintain the bar 31 in t e position shown, and to allow the lever 32 to be swung in the direction indicated to throw center 32! over center 32 when bar 31 is lowered.- Thus in normal position the link 39 'which is pivoted at 39 and pivotally supports the far end of bar 31, is held in straight alinement with bar 31; and link 39 will not begin to drop until the center 32 has passed below center 32". But the links are of such length and are so pivoted that the whole lower edge of the bar 31 moves at all times parallel to itself and engages the surface of sheet 26 throughout its length at the same time, and so that subsequent pressure on handle 32" will cause the bar 31 to press evenly on the sheet 26. It will be noted that the cutting mechanism in the position of Fig. 5 is clamped to and will travel with the material to be out, which permits of the cutting operation to tab. 7 place while the two are locked. in a fixed relation to each other. Movement of the cutter is allowed by mounting the clamping members on slidin frames 33 and 33' which slide in suitab ebearing supports 34. After the operation of clamping, a cutting arrangement in the form of a wire or cord 35 shown fastened at 36 to frame 33", is'caused to be tightened, and raised in a vertical direction by means of handle 37, or by any other means as desired; thus accomplishing the severing of the sheet 26 along the line of the forward edge of clamp bar 31. The relationship of the cutting wire to the clamping l member 30 is shown clearly in Figs. 5, s; and

during the act The position of wire 35 of severing is shown at Fig. 6. p

The clamping plate 30 may be constructed or built up in any suitable manner. I find it convenient to make it of sheet metal bent to the form shown best in Fig. 7; haviiw a fiat smooth top back edge portion 38, a drop off at 38" and a forward apron at 88. The forward edge 38' of this apron is the only part which mu come into contact with the belt 14, althoug it is intended that this edge come close to but not contact with the belt. The roll at 38 strengthens the plate and makes a smooth rounded edge where the sheet 26 rises into the plate. The drop-oil at portion 38 and a roun ed is prclcrahl owl-hung. so that the wire is ampl v protected from contact with sheet 21 when in its normal position as shown in Fig. ii. The apron 3H" l'acililalcs the return of the wire to its normal 'position and holds the, wire out oi contact with the moving belt 14. The whole sheet metal plate may. if desired. he reinforced h) a har ltl which extends across between frames iii, and 3:5. This bar. and the frames 33 and Slit (or the frames and the sheet metal plate, if the har 30 is not used) are rigidl connected together so as to form a unitary structure which extends squarely across the hell and slides longitudinally thereof.

Lever 4t) and 40 are mounted on cross shaft 41 supported in hearings 4;! and t2, and they pass through or are otherwise attached to frames 33. 33" as shown at slots 43. They are for the purpose of returning the cutting aml clamping mechanism to the normal position shown; stops ll limiting the backward movement. Ilandle i5 is an attachment to lever 40 for the conveniem-e of operating the lattcr il' manipulated hy hand. A loop for maintaining the cutting mechanism in place in the periods between cutting actions is shown at 46. The levers 4t) and shaft 41 assist in keeping the frames 33, and therefore the clamping and cutting members, in proper transverse alinement across the material.

As heretofore explained. the formed product which is ("lit in sheets of suitahle length at the position shown at 27 in Fig. 1, may have its length determined by a registering or indicating device 28, the function of which may he to' act either as an indicator or as a means to'manipulate an automatic performance to accomplish the, purpose of severing the sheet. in Fig. 1 and illustrated in Fig. 8 in which 50 is an arm carrying a mclnher 51 which mav he a weight suspended hy st rand 52 in such a mannc as to he moved hy the forward edge of the sheet 21%. Arm 50 is shown inserted in a retaining aperture 53: 5t and 55 are similar openings for such dill'crcnt positions as may he ueccssilcd h the requircment for various lcngths of sheet to he severed. Alter the process ol severing has hccu completed it will he noted that the severed sheet will rest upon the t 'avcling helt couv\" \'cr unrestrained and therefore travel with and at the same speed as the latter. therehy traveling away. from the uncut portion of the sheet, immediately opening a space hctwcen the two as indicated at B in Fig. 2. That portion of the uncut sheet iudicatcd h v (3 is shown in a position ready to he ut. The sheet shown at I having trave ed away from sheet as explained.

is shown having been drawn manually or otherwise in the direction indicated by the arrow toward one ide and over the edge Such a device is shown of framework ll and 'ovcr a supporting shcll' tit]. which latter is shown in Fig. J. (Ur. in practice. thc forming rolls. etc., may he so placed with relation to the hell. that. the formed sheet travels with its edge over-- hanging the helt edge: making it unnecessarjv to draw it to one side to reach posdion ll). The sheet is then drawn laterally into position 1*) after having traveled sullicicntly in the direction oi the hell to he in front of tahle TU. Figs, ltl and ll show clamping mcnihcrs (i5 and tie suitahly hinged at i said clamping memhcrs containing a plurality of l'astcning pins tii' which pass through sheet I aml project into openings 6H. thus clamping and holding the edge of the severed sheet I). Fastening clamps till are used to hold the clamping memhers in place. Alter shcct i has liccn removed from conveycr hclt H to position I) onto a tilting tahle it). this tahle is then swung ahoul the axis 71 into a vertical or nearly vertical position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. The sheet" is then hung hy heing transferred from tahlc To to supporting racks 72 on trucks 71;. The "lamps 6:"), (35 are longer than the severed sheets and the ends of the i clamps are hung on the racks 72 so that the sheets shown at. I then are suspended. Tahle 70 may have an adjustahle counter weight 7U which will move or assist to move the tahle hack to its horizontal position alter the sheet I) is removed; aml the weight ol sheet |*l will movcfor assist to move the tahle to its tilted position: the pivot 71 hcing set nearer one edge of the tahlc than the other. 'lransi'cr to the racks 72 may he :u'complishcd manually or hv a suitahlc mechanism. Such a mechanism may cmhody a pair of swinging arms Tl which move the suspended sheets up to the level of the racks 72.

From the foregoing description the opcration ol the apparatus herein dcscrihcd may he rcadilv understood. The plaster hoard or the like is l'ormcd between the rolls ll). 13". passes onto the hell l t and passes down along through the cutter mcchanrnr. and then the severed lengths pass on at m;- s writ of the hclt and the clamp U5. U5 is attached to the sidc edge of the severed sheet. The body of the severed shcct still rests upon the hell while the clamps rest upon the shell ii". The severed clamped sheet then travels on with the hell. until it comes opposite the tahic it) which i then in a horizontal position; when the operators grasp the opposite ends ol the clamp and move the clamp and the severed sheet to the position shown at l the clamp overhanging the edge of the ta hlc. so that when the tahlc is tipped to its vertical position the clamp holds the severed sheet from slipping down the table. The operators then grasp (or arms 74 engage un derl the ends of the clamp and lift the severed sheet and place it upon the truck 72. Truck 72 is then moved off and the sheet is allowed to set and is dried While in suspended position, The fact that the belt moves at higher speed than the formed sheet of plaster board causes a sullicicnt space to be developed between t e severed. piece D and the oncoming end L; to allow suflleient time for the transverse movement and clamping of the severed piece without interference with the oncoming uneevercd piece.

Now, although it will be readily seen that my cutter mechanism is of particular utility in combination th a mechanism where the material to hi it is traveling at a speed different from timiof the conveyer, its use is not at all limited to such a specific situw tion, but can be used in any situation where it is desirable to secure :1 clean accurate out on material whether Chet mater al is moving on a convover, or moving by itself, or is stal tionary. T he ty '2 motion of my cutte mechanism is it movin sheet of material; and in the art i-i manu ictui" ing plaster board and the like the cutter will usually be applied to e sheet of material moving on a convcyer. such as described. In such a situation the operation of the cutter lnechmil i readily understood from the foregoing iwscription. The operator watches the indicato and when the indicater is moved by the fin-ward end of the advancing 111a terinl, the operator then throws handle 32 over and downwardly in the di lOCtlOll indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, thus bringing the upper clumping bu 31 down on the material and clamping the material between the clamping burs Si) and 31. The

whole cutter mechanism then begins to move with the material. The operator then sirclches the wire or string 35 taut and then.

pulls upwardly on one end of ii, drawing the wire or string up through the material and thus Mini-ling e severance of the mutelinl at the edge of l)!!! 3!. The edge of bar Si is preferably directly above the drop- OH 38 before referred to; so that the wire or string :35 which normally IB'-'l'.-: against this drop-oil" will he pulled directly up wurdly in line with the Wlge surface of upper bar 31. And the lower edge of her 31 15 preferably narrow and somewhat rounded so as to present no sharp corners to the sheet 26.' The nlincment of bar 551 with the for Word edge of overhanging drop-oil 38" enables the wire 35 to woke :i clean square cut. As soon as the sheet has been severed, than the wire 35 is put right back into its normal position. This may he done by puseing the wire right back through the out just made; or, in the specific form of mechanism here described, where iiucut short immediately begins to more nun); from the part following, the wire is easily rvlurucd through the intervening space wi wenedinti-ly begins to widen out. The Wire having been put bacl; in proper position, the clamp bar 31. is again moved up to its normal position, re-

leasing the cutter mechanism from the me-- teriel. The cutter mechanism may then be moved back to its normelposition, thebar 30 being mo vcd back under the material sheet 536 which is constantly moving forward. 'hen the cutter mechanism is in its normal position, the loop 46 may be used to hold it in that position; but in actual. practice the operator usually stands against the handle leaning against that handle to hold. the mechanism hack in mention, and relieving his weight oi? the handle as soon as he has moved the clamping bar 31 down and Wishes the cutter mechanism to move with the material.

a material chimp and u cutter carried by and cooperating with the clamp for cutting the clamped materiel.

3. A cutter mechanism adapted to be attached to materials during cutting action thereon, said cutter mechanism embodying a material clamp, and a. cutter embodying a flexible cutting member secured relatively to the clamp at one end and free at the other end;

4. A cutie: mechanism adapted to be at- Having described a preferred form of my tnched to nutter-leis during cntting action A05 thereon, said cutting mechanism embodying a. clamp comprising a pair of eloigated clamping bare, and a cutter embodying "a flexible cutting clement secured at one end to the end of the clamp and having ts other cud free and Hduplcd to be pulled taut and raised to cut the clamped material along the edge of one of the clamping bars.

5. in u milling ihechanisin of the character descriln-dmovable frame, a, n-initively stationary and a relatively movable clamping but mounted on the frame and adopted to cheap mlllm'ltil between them, and a cutter element affixed to the frame and adapted to cut materials clamped by the bars.

6. In combination with a material moving means, a movable cutting mechanism mount- 7 ed to be movable in the direction of movement of the material, a. means for attaching the 9 liq with the material, said cutter mechanism embodying a flame mounted to move in the direction of movement of the material, said frame having a lower clamping plate oveqg which the material moves, an upper clamps ing plate and means for clamping theupper clamping plate down on the material over the lower clamping plate. and a cuting element associated with the frame.

8. in combination with a material moving means. a cutter mechanism adapted to move with the material, said cutter mechanism cmhodyine' a frame mounted to more in the direction of movement of the material said frame havin a lower clamping plate over which th material moves. an upper-clamping plate and means for clamping the upper clampingplate down on the material over the lower clamping plate. and a cutting element associated with the frame and adapted to cur the material along: one edge of the upper clamping plate.

5!. In crunhination with a conveyer adapted to convey material desired to he cut into lcHfJl hs. a movable cutter mechanisn'i embodying a frame movahle in the direction of movement ol the material. a lowe clamping. plate extending" over the conveycr and hetween ir and the material. an upper clamping bar adapted to he moved down onto the material. and a utting! clement associated with the movable frame.

10. in combination with a adapted to convey material desired to he cut into lengths. a movable cutter mechanism embodying a frame movable in the direction of n'iovcmcnt ot' the material. a lower clamping plate extending: over the i"oll\(' \'('l and between it and the material, an upper clamping bar adapted to he moved down onto the material, and a cutting element associated with the movable frame and adapted to out the material by upward m vement away from the conveyor.

[1. ln eomhination with a conveyor adapted to convey material desired to he cut into lengths. a movahle cutting mechanism having a plate which extends across the conveyor under the material. means for clamping tlle material against sa d plate, and means in as ociation with said plate and said clamping means for culling the material.

12. In combinati n with a con vcyer ca rrvinn material de ired to be cut into lengths conveyer a movable cutter mechanism embodying a plate extending across the conveyer between "'it and the material, means to clamp the material down onto said plate, and means normally lying under the material along the plate and adapted to cut the material by movement away from the conveyer.

13. In combination with a conveyor adapted to convey material desired to he cut into lengths. a movable cutting mechanism having a plate which extends across the conveyer under the material, means for clamping the material against said plate, and means in association with said plate and said clamping means for cutting the material, said plate being provided on its lower edge with a drop-oil and with an apron below the drop-oli'. and said cutting, means embodying a flexible cutting clement, lying normally on said apron below said drop-off and attached at one end to the plate and having its other end free to he pulled taut and moved upwardly to cut upwardly through the material when clamped against the plate.

14. In combination adapted to convey material desired to he severed into lengths. means for retarding the movement. of the material so that the material lagsbchind the eonveycr movement. a movable cutting mechanism. and means for attaching the cutting mechanism to the material during: cutting actionf 15. In comnnation with a conveyer adapted to convey material desired to be severed into lengths. means for retarding the movement of the material so that the material lags behind the convc ver movement. a movahlc culling mechanism. and means for attaching the cutting mechanism to the material during cutting, action, the cutting: mechanism being substantially out of contact with the convcycr.

16. in mechanism of the. charm-tel dcscrihed. a cutter mcchanism adapted to act on moving; material embodying a cutter. a. clamp adapted to attach the cutter to the material. and mounting means for the cutter mechanism allowing it to more with the material and holdin; it in transverse alinemerit acroas the moving material.

in witness that I claim lhe foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3d day of Seplcmhcr I918.

with a. conveyor 

